1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suspending device for suspending a chain of linked food products such as sausages with a meat emulsion or the like stuffed in a casing and to an apparatus for manufacturing a chain of linked food products such as sausages having the suspending device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5899/1966, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,853, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos.146248/1993 and 227874/1993, this type of apparatus for manufacturing a chain of linked food products is generally comprised of a stuffing device for stuffing a raw material for linked food products into a tubular casing; a linking device for forming the casing from the stuffing device and stuffed with the raw material for linked food products into a chain of linked food products and for conveying the same; and a suspending device for suspending the chain of linked food products conveyed by the linking device and supplied thereto.
In the manufacturing apparatuses disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5899/1966 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,853, the stuffing device, the linking device, and the suspending device are driven by one electric motor. For this reason, the rotating force from the electric motor is transmitted to the respective devices by means of pulleys, belts, sprocket wheels, and endless chains respectively trained between the sprocket wheels.
Meanwhile, with the manufacturing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.146248/1993, the linking device and the suspending device are respectively provided with electric motors, and the operation of the electric motor of the suspending device is controlled on the basis of the amount of conveyance of the linked food products by the linking device.
In the same way as the manufacturing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 227874/1993, each of the manufacturing apparatuses disclosed in the above-described publications is arranged such that a driving source such as an electric motor and the like is disposed below an apparatus frame, and a rotatively driving shaft for transmitting power from this driving source to a guiding means and a hooking and conveying means of the suspending device is arranged vertically so as to transmit the rotatively driving force from below to the guiding means and the hooking and conveying means disposed above the apparatus frame.
Since raw materials such as meat emulsions or the like are handled in the manufacturing apparatuses of this type, if the manufacturing apparatus is provided with the rotatively driving shaft which rises from below to above, the raw materials such as the meat emulsions or the like are easily attached to the rotatively driving shaft, a bearing for rotatably supporting the same, and the sprocket wheels and the like attached to the rotatively driving shaft, and constantly contaminate them due to the unintended rupture or the like of the casings or the like. Therefore, since food products are handled, the rotatively driving shaft and other parts must also be cleaned frequently.
In addition, as in the case of the manufacturing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.146248/1993, even if the electric motor of the suspending device is disposed in a casing, the casing must be constructed with very high water tightness so that cleaning water and the like will not enter the casing, constituting a factor for higher cost.